Actor Matthew Perry, best known for starring in “Friends,” has reportedly died at the age of 54 in an apparent drowning incident.
He was found at his Los Angeles-area home where first-responders answered the call for a cardiac arrest on Saturday evening, according to the Los Angeles Times and TMZ.
Perry was reportedly discovered in a jacuzzi at the residence. Foul play was not immediately suspected.
“We are devastated to learn of Matthew Perry’s passing,” the official “Friends” Instagram account posted. “He was a true gift to us all. Our heart goes out to his family, loved ones, and all of his fans.”
The actor played the beloved role of Chandler Bing on “Friends.” He also starred or guest starred in shows including “Boys Will Be Boys,” “Growing Pains,” ‘Beverly Hills, 90210.”
Cast members of NBC’s comedy series “Friends.” Pictured (L to R): David Schwimmer as Ross Geller, Courteney Cox as Monica Geller, Jennifer Aniston as Rachel Cook, Matthew Perry as Chandler Bing, Matt LeBlanc as Joey Tribbiani and Lisa Kudrow as Phoebe Buffay.
As news of his passing broke Saturday evening, fans flocked to social media to remember the star.
“Rest in peace to the man who played one of my favorite characters of all time,” one fan wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Matthew Perry was able to put a smile on my face when no one else could, and I’ll remember his impact he had on me and his legacy forever.”
“Watching ‘Friends’ for the first time and falling in love with Chandler Bing is something I will forever hold dearly,” said another admirer. “One of the best characters on television, and one of the best actors to play it. I’m beyond distraught. Matthew Perry was too young. This is heartbreaking.”
Matthew Perry gave the world one of the best comedic performances and comfort characters in television, he was not a character but I hope he knows he made an impact on a lot of people, RIP pic.twitter.com/R9JSdy5RoI
— Pop Culture Posts (@notgwendalupe) October 29, 2023
In his memoir, “Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing,” published in November, Perry shared vulnerable details about his acting career, romantic relationships and journey with addiction, sharing that he almost died at the age of 49.
“The doctors told my family that I had a two-percent chance to live,” Perry wrote, remembering the time his colon burst as a result of overusing the prescription opioid OxyContin.
He admitted that he’d struggled with addiction throughout his time on “Friends” and that his “Vicodin habit” was visible in how he appeared on the TV show.
Actor Matthew Perry speaks onstage during the 64th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live on September 23, 2012 in Los Angeles, California.
“You can track the trajectory of my addiction if you gauge my weight from season to season — when I’m carrying weight, it’s alcohol; when I’m skinny, it’s pills. When I have a goatee, it’s lots of pills,” he wrote.
Perry also discussed losing his virginity at the age of 18 to Tricia Leigh Fisher, the half-sister of the late Carrie Fisher, as well as making out with actress Gwyneth Paltrow in a broom cupboard at the beginning of their careers.
While the actor never got married, he was briefly engaged to literary agent Molly Hurwitz before breaking up in 2021.
Although Perry stated he was clean and sober in recent years, when he and the other cast members appeared in 2021 to tease a “Friends” reunion show, fans voiced concern over him seeming to slur his words.
He later told Diane Sawyer during an ABC “Nightline” interview that the reason for his slurred speech was a dental surgery he had prior to the reunion, and that he was still sober.
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